Z Saga II, Discussion

Back in 2005, several forum members got together and wrote an epic RPG called "The Z Saga". The original RPG is currently being re-worked into a full-length novel by yours truly.

For the past 4 years, there has been call for a sequel to the RPG. Now, here it is. Following on from this post will be a background RPG, giving an update as to where the characters are and what the story is. It is based on The Z Saga but does not follow it completely. Consider everything in this topic and the RP topic canon, and nothing else.

The Rules

- Try to disable your signatures in both this and the RP topic. I will go through the RP topic preiodically and remove all signatures, but hopefully you will do this yourself to save me time. - Try not to post twice in a row, although obviously if there hasn't been an update in a day or so then feel free to double-post to keep things going. - You can RP with as many characters as you like. Just keep it on a level you can personally manage. We would prefer quality over quantity, always. - God modding is obviously not allowed, but we are leniant. Try not to make other people's characters act out of character, but you may need to RP as them from time to time to keep the story flowing.

That's it. Any ideas you have, discuss here then add them into the RP. Hopefully this will be as successful as the first one. If not, at least have fun in the meantime.

For years, as far back as anyone could remember, the Hospital had been split in two. One half of the Hospital was open to the public, offering the very best in medical care the world had to offer. It was always at the forefront of radical new treatments, medicines and surgeries. No Hospital had won more awards than this one.

But there were some areas that were strictly off-limits, even to the most senior of Hospital staff. The basement, the 7th floor, the 10th floor and parts of the 3rd and 4th floor were marked "Strictly No Entrance." The people who worked in these areas did not mingle with the rest. They came to work via a different road. Most were never seen by the day-to-day Hospital staff. They were almost invisible.

No-one could remember exactly who owned these dark and mysterious corridors. Some claimed it was a top University, sending their most genius academics to work there for no pay, providing the Hospital with all their radical new treatments. Others claimed it was a reclusive multi-billionairre, who kept all those rooms stocked with the best equipment money could buy to provide him with 24-hour, personal treatment. Most whispered something about "the Government" or "Military". One janitor even claimed to have seen an alien being smuggled in, moaning and groaning while he swept the halls late at night.

Truth was, even the employess knew not who they worked for, really. Tom was one of those employees, a mathematical prodigy. He didn't care who was paying his cheques, all he cared was that his talent was finally being put to good use and not wasted on the dirty schoolbooks he had to race through during his "education".

He laughed at the thought. Education, right. By the time he was 10 he had already discovered there was nothing his teachers could explain to him. By age 13, he had dropped out of school altogether, dedicating his time to seeking out and solving gradually tougher and tougher sums. Age 17, he had exhausted all of his own avenues and began applying to companies and corporations, desperate for a puzzle he could not solve.

It had been a further 6 years since then, and the 23 year old still could not find that most impossible of puzzles. He had been working at the Hospital for a year, and although he was satisfied with the knowledge that his smarts were being put to good use, he yearned to find out more about the practical applications of his maths. The theory was beginning to bore him, he decided, as there was seemingly nothing he could not do.

Tom had taken to working late, staying well past midnight most nights. He curled up with all the physics, chemistry and biologocial books he could find, trying to put his brilliant mind into deciphering exactly what was being created in these labs.

So far, he had summised it was a new medicine for regenerating dead skin. So far, so good. Tom had already discovered a flaw in the application of his maths, a slight misunderstanding on the part of the brilliant, yet to him sub-par, minds of the scientists he was working with. No matter, now that he knew the theory of science Tom figured he could simply correct their mistakes, without them noticing, and noone would be hurt.

This was three weeks ago. Since then, Tom had been working on his own fomula. He started by pricking various parts of his thumb and applying the solutions, using himself as a guinea pig to discover which was the most efficient in regenerating his skin. Once he had narrowed it down to three formulas, he began slicing wounds into his forearm using a scalpel and applying the formula again. One, which he had identified as XXY, was significantly faster than the other two, although admittedly it did sting slightly. No matter, he thought, all it would require was a little tweaking of the formula and he would have solved the mystery, cracked the code. Finally, Tom felt he could be proud of himself.

Tonight was the night, he had decided. He had spent many hours leading up to this point, perfecting the formula, breaking the science down into bare basics and building it back up again. He had it planned to perfection. At 11:25, the last of the cleaners would have disappeared for the night. No-one would be around now until at least 5:30, giving him enough time to inflict a fairly severe wound and, if successful, regenerate the correct amount of skin and tissue to cure himself before anyone would arrive. They would all assume he had simply slept in the office again, none the wiser to the miracle he would have created.

Tom pulled out the knife from his drawer. The fear momentarily gripped him as he studied the reflective surface of the cold blade, but his pride and absolute belief in his skills overcame that fear. He rolled up his trouser leg, and sank the knife deep into his calf. He flinched with pain - he had momentarily forgotten how much this would hurt. Steeling himself, he went on, carving a deep gash into his muscle.

After what seemed like an hour, Tom removed the knife and sighed deeply. The worst part was over. Already, Tom's natural pain suppressants and adrenaline had kicked in, numbing the agony somewhat. He reached for the bottle of liquid that would restore his limb to its former glory, and poured it all over his wound, taking great care to let it absorb into ever nook and cranny. He could feel it pulsing, taking control of his fibres, almost of a mind of its own.

Tom watched, entranced, as the liquid began to solidify, taking shape and stretching across the bleeding gap in his leg. Slowly, but surely, the bleeding slowed then came to a complete stop. Tom smiled. This was truly magical.

He could actually feel his skin stretch, as the new cells began breeding over his old, dead tissue and muscle. It was tingly, orgasmic even! Unconciously, Tom began laughing at the spectacle he was witnessing, throwing his head back in celebration of this miracle. A mircale he had made.

But the laughing stopped. Suddenly, Tom let out a blood-curdling scream. Something was wrong, he thought, but the pain drowned out all rationale. He clutched at his leg and attempted to claw the formula from within him.

Futiley, he watched as the pinkish liquid turned a deep brown. The skin had stopped stretching over his wound, but instead began pulling back the way, tearing off with it the still-living, and nerve-attached, good skin along the rest of his leg.

He could smell burning, the all-too-familar stench of decay and death that came with a Hospital. Something was drastically wrong. He stood, then fell immediately to the floor, his leg no longer responding to his brain.

What had happened? He thought. There was no way his formula could be wrong. He checked and double-checked the figures, going over the plan and application meticulously. It was perfect! He knew it.

Tom screamed again. He could feel fire in his blood as it pumped through his body, heart and mind. He felt like he was itchy all over, like a thousand needles had been stabbed into every single pore of his skin. Now ice, ice had infiltrated him. His stomch felt cold, his head began sweating. This wasn't right, to be so hot and cold at the same time.

Both his legs were frozen still now. Tom couldn't feel his arms either, but he could see them, clawing away at his clothes and his skin, trying to make sense of this pain. He wished them luck. He sure as hell couldn't make sense of it at all. In fact, all rational thought began to leave him. He could barely remember his own name.

Tom became the first of many, a zombie. Although his death was accidentally self-inflicted, the same unknown force who was in control of the Hospital had been experimenting in bio-warfare for decades, trying to breed super-humans made of constantly regenerating skin. An indestructible, immortal army.

However, while Tom's mind died, his body remained in a constant state of living and dying, the formula killing off his original cells while constantly generating new ones to take their place. The result was a vessel both stronger and more resiliant than any human. Tom's corpse rose again during the night and began stalking the Hospital with the most basic of human instincts - to hunt, fight, feed and reproduce. He encountered a security guard doing his rounds, attacking the man and infecting him also. The duo began killing and infecting all who crossed their paths. The horde of undead eventually, and accidentally, broke through the barriers securing the original test subjects and freeing them. Some, mere zombies like Tom, joined the pack, who had now absconded the Hospital and began slowly terrorising the City, converting all mortals that crossed into their path.

However, there were others, more special test subjects, who had became imbued with more supernatural powers than the group. Gene manipulation had granted some with the ability to walk on water, to climb surfaces like an insect - some even to think and rationalise. These creatures stalk the night silently, following the horde intently and waiting for their opportunity to further the chaos that has been unleashed.

Lucy Adams was a wealthy woman who tired of her priveleged life. Whilst still a teenager, she fell in with gang warfare and ran the grimier streets with her then boyfriend Antonio. Having recently turned her back on the gang's illegal empire, Lucy found herself victim to a rogue zombie attack. Luckily, a homeless orphan by the name of Jack King rescued her from near-death. Jack escorted Lucy to the Police Station, then went on his own adventure, eventually crossing paths with Antonio. Their story shall be told in another time.

At the Police Station, a new sheriff was in town - Kai Miyamoto, a recent transfer to the City, found himself being thrust into the position of leader for a group of survivors. These include Rick Pennington, the last remaining survivor of the original Police squad, and Angelina Smith, the teenage daughter of the founder of the Hospital who oversaw this dastardly research. This trio, joined by Lucy, managed to obtain a number of weapons and escaped from the Police Station, setting a large bomb in a car parking area to attract zombies away from their getaway location, the Subway. En route, they encountered a man who Angelina recognised as a personal friend of her Father's. He treated the group with considerable hostility, and was eventually knocked out and dragged with them to the underground Subway station where they hope to find escape from this madness.

Odd and Saint were the heads of a crack team of Government agents, sent by their boss on a mission to eradicate the infection before it got "out of hand". They were also to infiltrate the Hospital and remove as much evidence as possible pertaining to the disease. They were mildly successful, obtaining several paper and computer files relating to the atrocity before nearly dying at the hands of one of the advanced mutations. The two managed to escape with their lives, but the whereabouts and status of their teammates has yet to be confirmed.

Behind the scenes, a power-struggle is ensuing between the bosses of Saint and Odd, the fathers of Lucy and Jack and a wholly secret organisation. The heart of this tale are the zombies, but the blood pumping that heart has yet to be fully revealed.

This is the current cast of characters. They are slightly modified from Chapter 1. It is unlikely Saint will be returning to C2, and Jack will definitely not be making an appearance, but they may be mentioned later, hence their inclusion. Finally, there will be a plethora of new characters introduced in the coming weeks, so keep checking back to this post for periodic updates

One you begin posting in the RP, your character(s) will be added to the role-call. If you want this updated or revised in anyway, just say so below

I want to introduce a character, but I am not sure how to get him in the story, I mean, I can't have him just walk into the room, and say, "Hey, my name is Bob" and pretend like he was there the entire time.

My character is going to be a doctor. I thought it would be interesting to RP as a character like that. I will have a bio for him sooner or later, if a bio is required.

Bios aren't required, but post them here anyway to try and get the ball rolling. I've found that typically, people get more into something when they've come up with a foundation first. I know I enjoyed the build up the first time around. I'll also remind Uno about this...I think he just forgot, since he's busy after school every day.